Chapter 153: His Ramblings

After dropping Lia off at home, Bella stayed until the girl was calm and sound asleep. Only then did she feel relieved enough to leave.

It was late, and a thunderstorm had rolled in, making matters worse. The windshield wipers worked tirelessly, but the heavy rain still hampered visibility. Worried about an accident, Bella drove slowly, close to the side of the road.

The rain intensified, and thunder roared. Eventually, she pulled over to wait for the storm to subside. She had always been afraid of thunder, but it was less frightening at home. Now, feeling completely vulnerable, she waited.

About half an hour passed, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. The thunderclaps grew louder and more frequent, with lightning flashing across the sky like a prelude to disaster.

Bella's anxiety increased. She turned up the car's music, finding a small measure of comfort in the confined space.

Suddenly, a car stopped in front of her. The heavy rain obscured her view, and she thought it might be the police, checking for illegally parked vehicles.

She was about to drive away when her door swung open. Dominic!

In a few steps, he was soaked. He urged, "Move over!"

Bella didn't have time to ask how he found her. She quickly slid into the passenger seat; her small frame made it easy.

Leaving his own car, Dominic drove her home to Miller Manor. Only inside did she ask, "How did you know where I was?"

He stared at her as if her question were ridiculous.

"Your car has a tracker. I saw you parked there for a long time and figured you were too scared to drive. Did something happen with Lia? You were at her place so late Did you even check the weather?" Bella smiled. "She's fine. She had a fight with Leonard, but everything's settled. You're drenched; you should change."

Unusually talkative, Dominic grumbled, "Next time, pay attention to the weather. I won't always be around to help you. Honestly, how have you survived this long being so clueless?"

It hit Bella then: was this his way of saying goodbye? Of course. He was leaving overseas soon. Even with his promise to return, who knew what would happen?

Sensing her silence, Dominic glanced back. "What? Upset that I'm lecturing you?"

She forced a smile. "No, I'm learning my lesson. Go ahead, keep scolding me."

Dominic sighed and went to his room to change. Bella didn't leave. She stood at his door, unwilling to let go of the moment. She hadn't properly thanked him yet. As long as he was still there, she wanted to savor every moment, avoiding future regrets.

After changing, Dominic emerged from his walk-in closet. He paused, surprised to see her. "Anything else?"

She flashed a bright smile, her pearly teeth hinting at playfulness. "Thanks for tonight. I don't know when I would have made it home without you. When exactly are you leaving?"

Dominic took a deep breath. "Tomorrow night."

Tomorrow… so soon… less than 24 hours…

Bella lowered her head, unsure what to say. She wanted to see him off, but the words wouldn't come.

It was as if he could read her mind. "Don't bother. The Yates family has a private jet here. Do you… have anything else you want to say?"

Bella shook her head. She couldn't think of anything, yet the idea of saying nothing was unbearable.

After tonight, he might be gone by the time she got home from work tomorrow.

(The final promotional sentence "Search the FindNovel.net website on Google" should be removed as it is irrelevant to the story and inappropriate for inclusion in the text.)